Lucas Puygrenier has been awarded the 2026 Mattei Dogan Thesis Prize by the AFSP

The School of Research warmly congratulates Lucas Puygrenier, who has been awarded the 2026 Mattei Dogan Thesis Prize by the Association Française de Science Politique (AFSP). This award recognises the excellence of his thesis entitled Les gens de trop : gouvernement des populations et mise au travail sur l’île de Malte, which he defended in January 2024 under the supervision of Béatrice Hibou.

Now a postdoctoral researcher at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and a research associate at CERI, Lucas Puygrenier focuses his research on the links between migration policies, the governance of populations and the transformations of contemporary capitalism.

An investigation into the paradoxes at the heart of European migration policies

Taking Malta – the smallest and most densely populated of the European Union’s Member States – as its case study, the thesis offers an original analysis of the plight of people considered ‘surplus’: the poor, the unemployed or migrants, designated as surplus within the political community but who, precisely because of this position, occupy a vital place in the world of work.

Based on extensive empirical research – including archival material, over 140 interviews and an ethnographic study of street recruitment practices – this research highlights the interplay between border policies, state action and the organisation of labour.

By engaging in a critical dialogue with migration studies, the thesis demonstrates that contemporary policies are not solely about the exclusion of populations deemed ‘undesirable’. They also incorporate logics of economic inclusion: certain groups are made indispensable to production whilst being permanently kept at a distance from the political community. In doing so, the work highlights a fundamental tension between political exclusion and economic inclusion, offering a fresh perspective on the contradictions of European migration policies.

Research recognised by the academic community

The Mattei Dogan Prize recognises the scientific quality and originality of this research, which has already resulted in several publications in academic journals, notably Société politique comparée, Terrains & Travaux and Economy & Society (forthcoming). A book based on the thesis is currently in preparation.

New research on ‘golden passports’

Building on his doctoral work, Lucas Puygrenier is now continuing his research into another link between capitalism and migration policies. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre Maurice Halbwachs (EHESS), he is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Political Theory at the Université libre de Bruxelles.

His research focuses on ‘golden passports’ – schemes through which certain states grant citizenship in exchange for financial investment. Through this phenomenon, he explores the hypothesis of a ‘return of privileges’, characterised by the creation of legal and administrative statuses reserved for the wealthiest individuals.

The School of Research extends its warmest congratulations to Lucas Puygrenier on this distinction, which recognises a particularly innovative piece of research and contributes to the reputation of research conducted at Sciences Po.

Find out more:

• Doctorate in Political Science
• Center for International Studies
• View Lucas Puygrenier’s thesis on HAL
• Announcement of the winners of the 2026 Mattei Dogan Thesis Prize from the French Political Science Association (AFSP) (in French)
• The island of Malta: a laboratory for political science theory? (Radio France - in French)